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April 2015 Lunar Eclipse – The Pizza Moon

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Just after 5:00 am Pacific Daylight Time this morning, we experienced a Total Lunar Eclipse — a “blood moon” in fact, as the sun’s light passing through Earth’s atmosphere cast a reddish-brown shadow on the moon. Perhaps this one, for reasons I’ll describe below, we should call the Pizza Moon.

The eclipse occurred while the Moon was at 14 degrees of Libra and the Sun at 14 Aries. The Libra Moon suggests this is a time for focus on harmony, balance, give-and-take, compromise. The Sun’s position in Aries is closely conjunct Uranus at 16 degrees Aries, giving a spontaneously assertive spirit.

Uranus just days ago completed the last of its series of seven squares to Pluto, a process that has been happening over the last three years. Pluto at 15 degrees of Capricorn squares today’s eclipse. It seems essential that the Universe’s call for harmony, balance, and understanding will rely on us getting rid of outdated patterns of behaviour. We must put a stop to attitudes and practices that hinder our human relationships. Pluto’s position in Capricorn suggests that many of these changes must come from various levels of government. Uranus conjunct the Sun of this eclipse demands equal rights and freedom to all people. It is timely (and scary) to hear of a recent actions made by the state government of Indiana in the US, enforcing that religious beliefs can overtake human rights. Looking at the eclipse chart set for Walkteron, Indiana shows some ominous findings.

Why Walkerton? Recently a small pizzeria refused to cater a gay wedding. The state’s governor supported the business owner, declaring it was within the owner’s rights to refuse service to anyone if religious beliefs deemed it appropriate. This isn’t acceptable for Uranus. Uranus wants everyone to be treated with equal dignity and respect. Organized religion can’t trump human rights.

During the Uranus-Pluto conjunctions of the 1960s, we humans were tasked with establishing equal rights for all people, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. With the Uranus-Pluto squares from 2012 to 2015, these new rights are being tested. It is like the Universe is putting us under scrutiny to see if we really did learn something from the 1960s. Let’s hope we pass the test. Let’s hope the people of Indiana take charge and see that all people must be treated equally.

The Eclipse chart for Walkerton has Pluto on the Midheaven — separated by only 20 minutes of arc. This is one indication that this community is under some intense pressure to make the right move. In the 9th house of organized religion, this placement of Pluto is daunting.

The 29th degree of Aries on the Ascendant makes this an area ripe for battle, and chart ruler Mars about to rise heightens feelings of assertion. It’s a stubborn Mars in the sign of Taurus, so this battle may last a while. The symbolism is appropriate that this conflict developed over food.

At the moment of this eclipse, the Midheaven in Walkerton was exactly on the Uranus-Pluto midpoint — to the degree and minute! This marks Walkerton as an area of the world that is highly called to address human rights (Uranus) that conflict with the power of the government (Pluto).

The tension of this eclipse, fortunately, has an escape clause. Jupiter in Leo eases the opposition somewhat. It could be that matters are brought to resolution through the efforts of children, people in the theatre, and sports celebrities. Jupiter in the 4th house of this chart wants to honour the family and the home; it wants to honour the people’s heritage. We might think that this is a vote for religious beliefs rather than for support of anyone perceived as “on the fringe of society”. Jupiter, however, is not a discriminating player. Jupiter welcomes all cultures and all types of people. Perhaps the message here is that the people of Walkerton need to broaden their concept of what makes a family, and of what makes a community.

Lunar eclipses can certainly highlight the polarity of a situation. But they can also emphasize that balance is, and must be, attainable.